COUNCIL MODIFIES POLICE HIRING PRACTICES
The Le Mars city council approved a request from Police Chief Kevin Vande Vegte to modify the hiring practices of new officers.
Vande Vegte says a recent change in the law allows this move.
The change allows the list of candidates to remain in place, and shortens the hiring process.
The change in civil service rules streamlines hiring by police departments.
The city council Tuesday approved the hire of two police officers. Chief Vande Vegte says one will be to replace a retiring officer.
Another will be hired under the federal COPS program.
Chief Vande Vegte says the Le Mars police force is shorthanded compared to Iowa cities of similar size.
Chief Vande Vegte says it’s just important to add to the manpower on the force.
Chief Vande Vegte applied for funding from the COPS grant program to cover the hire of two officers. The first officer was hired in 2023. The grant is good through September 30 of 2027.
CITY ACCEPTS TRAFFIC STUDY
The Le Mars city council accepted the conclusions of a traffic study of the intersection of Key Avenue and 24th Street SW. Stanley Consultants was hired to determine if there is the need for additional traffice controls at that intersection where there is traffic to the Love’s travel stop and Wells Corporate Headquarters. The study determined that additional controls are not needed there at this time. No further action will be taken. The case will be revisited in the future.
SIOUX CITY WASTE DISCHARGE
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a sewage spill in Sioux City. Wednesday, the Iowa DNR Field Office in Spencer was notified by the City of Sioux City of an untreated wastewater discharge due to equipment failure at the Floyd lift station. The discharge began around 10:15 a.m. It is estimated nearly two million gallons of untreated wastewater discharged into Bacon Creek Channel, with an unknown amount reaching the Missouri River. Officials say Bacon Creek Channel was dry prior to the incident. The discharge has stopped and the lift station is operational. No dead fish have been observed at this time, and Bacon Creek Channel is now dry. The Iowa DNR has notified downstream surface water systems with the cities of Council Bluffs, Blair, Nebraska, and Omaha, Nebraska. Any downstream recreational users should take caution and stay out of the river at this time. The Iowa DNR will follow up with the city for further assessment.
VOTERS ADD TWO AMENDMENTS TO IOWA’S CONSTITUTION
Iowans have overwhelmingly approved two amendments to the Iowa Constitution. In mid-2017, when Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds took over in the middle of Terry Branstad’s sixth term as governor, some questioned whether the new governor had the authority to appoint a new lieutenant governor. The amendment makes it clear all future governors in similar circumstances would have that power. The other amendment deals with elections. It says ONLY citizens of the United States can vote in Iowa elections. The Iowa Constitution, as originally written, said EVERY citizen who’s a resident of Iowa may vote in state elections. Both amendments will become part of the Iowa constitution in a few weeks when state officials sign off on vote totals in the official canvas of votes.
IOWANS, START PREPPING FOR THE SNOWY SEASON
We still have about six weeks of fall left, but today (Thursday) is Winter Weather Awareness Day in Iowa. Meteorologist Chad Hahn, at the National Weather Service, says it’s important for Iowans to be aware and prepared for whatever may be around the corner, including ice, snow and bitter cold. The weather service announced several weeks ago that it planned to eliminate some terms in the winter ahead that Iowans are used to hearing, things including wind chill warnings, watches and advisories. Those are all going to be sunset, Hahn says, to be replaced by extreme cold warnings, watches and advisories. He says the main reason is to emphasize that cold is cold, whether it’s associated with wind or not.
KUM & GO CONVENIENCE STORE BRAND TO BE RETIRED
It will be Kum and Go no more. A trade publication called C-Store Dive reports the Utah company that bought the Iowa-based convenience store chain in 2023 will rebrand all Kum and Go locations as Maverik stores in 2025. Sekar (SHAY-ker Raju (RAH-joo) — chair of the department of marketing in Iowa State University’s Business School — says a brand name is one of a company’s assets — because it builds a connection between the company and its consumers. The Kum and Go brand was launched in the 1970s by Bill Krause and Tony Gentle, (JENT-ull), who started the chain. They opened their first gas station in 1959 in Hampton.
